In the manufacturing process of poultry and meat products, the use of conveyor belts to transport goods from one manufacturing process to another is a common practice. It is to be appreciated that during the transportation process, the transported goods tend to impart foreign particles (i.e. connective tissues, flesh, heavy oils, etc.) that become entrained on the conveyor belt. More specifically, foreign particles tend to accumulate in the hinge and rod area of the conveyor belt, as this area of the conveyor belt is subject to opening and closing during the transportation process. These areas are the most difficult to clean, as foreign particles tend to get pinched between the plates of the conveyor belt during processing. Over time, the entrained foreign particles begin to fester and pose sanitary risks to the process.
To avoid these sanitary concerns, periodic cleaning of the conveyor belts must be performed. Various methods have been used to clean conveyor belts in the past such as manual use of a water hose, soaking, and brushing methods. Manual cleaning is a time consuming process, and is infeasible for automated processes. In addition, manual cleaning is generally ineffective at achieving the desired quality of cleanliness. Similar to manual cleaning, allowing the conveyor belt to soak in water presents a time consuming process. Furthermore, insoluble foreign particles such as organics can require multiple soaking solutions before the belt is sanitized. Brushing methods have proven to be time effective, but present limitations in cleaning the crevices and recesses of the belt.